Multi-use cap with tab for holding accessories

ABSTRACT

A type of lightweight, multi-use headware is provided which has a concealable elastic loop on one or both sides of the headware for temporarily receiving a small illuminating device that allows the handle of the illuminating device to be securely held within the elastic loop of the headware. When the illuminating device is removed from the elastic loop, the loop may be concealed within the headware so that the headware may be used in the more traditional manner of shielding the user&#39;s face and eyes from sunlight.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/221,616 filed on Jul. 28, 2000, and entitled “MULTI-USE CAP WITH TABFOR HOLDING ACCESSORIES”, the disclosure of which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to headware, and particularly to a cap or hatwhich is constructed to temporarily hold a handle portion of anilluminating device in a concealable tab. When the illuminating deviceis removed from the headware, the concealable tab may be concealed alongthe sweatband of the cap, and the cap or hat may be used for its moretraditional purpose of shielding the sun from the face of a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of portable flashlights for illumination purposes are well knownand frequently used by hunters, fisherman, miners, fireman and othershaving a particular task to perform in the darkness. To permit the userof the flashlight to have both hands free to perform a designated task,it has been found advantageous to have the flashlight securely connectedto headware worn by the user of the flashlight. This type of attachmentallows the illuminating beam of light to be constantly positioned in theusers direction of sight.

The headware used for the attachment of a flashlight has commonly beenin the form of a rigid hardhat, or helmet with an exterior bracket forattaching the flashlight, batteries to operate the flashlight, or both.One type of configuration has a flashlight attached to the hardhat witha wire connected to a battery pack worn on the belt of the user. Anothertype of design has the batteries attached on the rear exterior surfaceof the hardhat. These types of configurations are generally heavy,cumbersome, and have a tendency to permit either the handle portion ofthe flashlight, the batteries attachment bracket, or wiring to becomesnagged or hooked on surrounding limbs from trees or shrubs or on otherobjects.

Another type of flashlight holder which may be worn around the users'head utilizes a headband or strap which attaches to a small flashlight.Although these apparatus are much lighter and less cumbersome to wearthan the rigid hats described above, they do not adequately secure theflashlight to the user's head, and are additionally prone to snaggingobjects such as limbs or twigs due to the flashlight handle projectingfrom the strap. Furthermore, the headband type of flashlight holder doesnot have any other utility besides holding the flashlight. For example,the headband cannot be used to shield the sun from a user's eyes,provide protection to the user's head from the weather, or provideprotection in the case of a hard hat.

Thus, a need exists for a type of headware, and more particularly a capor fedora to be constructed in a manner which allows a small flashlighthandle to be temporarily and concealably secured to the hat in a mannerwhich alleviates the flashlight handle from snagging other objects, yetis compatible for the user to inconspicuously wear the hat for otheruses such as shielding the sun or protection from the weather.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus one aspect of the present invention to provide a type oflightweight, non-rigid hat or headware with means for attaching anillumination device in a manner which is non-obtrusive and not likely tosnag on surrounding objects. It is a further aspect of the presentinvention to provide headware that inconspicuously houses the means forattaching an illumination device when not in use. It is yet a furtheraspect of the invention that the headware be capable of dual use duringboth nighttime and daytime conditions.

Thus, in one aspect of the present invention, a lightweight cap orfedora is constructed in a manner which allows the handle portion of asmall flashlight to be interconnected to an expandable or elastic loopor tab attached to the interior of the cap. The illumination device orflashlight is temporarily secured to the elastic loop, and thus the cap,in a manner which permits the flashlight to be easily removed for otheruses, and once removed, the loop can be replaced into the shell of thecap such that the cap is substantially indistinguishable from capscurrently used by sportsmen, police officers and others who work orenjoy recreational activities in the dark.

Thus, it is an additional aspect of the present invention that the capbe designed to appear substantially similar to commonly worn baseballtype caps or fedora hats which may be used for its generally acceptedpurpose of shielding the users face from the sun during daylight.However, a means for securing a flashlight within the cap is providedwhich is inexpensive to manufacture, comfortable for the user and allowsa traditional cap to be used for a dual purpose.

In another aspect of the invention, the securement of the flashlighthandle is accomplished in a manner which maintains the flashlight inclose proximity to the user's head. This configuration is not onlyaesthetically pleasing, but more importantly, generally prevents thehandle portion of the flashlight from being snagged or hooked byadjacent objects such as tree limbs, and permits the cap and attachedflashlight to be worn in confining spaces. This configuration furtherallows the beam of light from the flashlight to be directed toward theuser's line of sight.

It is a further aspect of the invention that a small flashlight may besecured on either side of the hat or both sides if the user requiresadditional illumination. Thus, the invention allows a user to customizethe use of the hat for whatever particular use is preferred.

To secure the flashlight to the headware, an expandable type fabric isgenerally interconnected to the base surface of the cap between theshell of the cap and the sweatband of the cap. The material forms a loopor a sleeve which is sized to specifically hold a small flashlight, andis generally stitched, glued, or heat bonded to the cap for securementpurposes. To form the loop, a standard elastic strip of the desiredlength may be simply cut to the appropriate length, folded to form aloop, and sewn, adhered, or otherwise interconnected to the cap shell.The sweatband is secured, generally by stitching or adhesive, to theshell of the cap along the circumference of the base of the cap.However, the sweatband is not secured to the shell of the cap along thelength of the interconnection of the elastic loop, thereby creating adefined space between the shell and the sweatband for receiving theexpandable loop in a first position of storage. This allows an openingor aperture between the sweatband and the shell of the cap such that theelastic loop may be folded up into the cap between the shell and thesweatband when not in use.

Alternatively, the elastic loop may be attached to the sweatband ratherthan the shell of the cap. This alternative embodiment maintains theaperture between the sweatband and the shell of the cap for insertionand concealment of the elastic loop. However, this embodiment maysimplify assembly since the attachment of the elastic loop to thesweatband involve smaller and more manageable pieces of the cap thanworking with the cap itself at this stage of manufacturing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a portion of the bottom view shown in FIG.2;

FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 atline “AA” with the elastic loops shown in the concealed position;

FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 atline “AA” with the elastic loops shown in the exposed position;

FIG. 4c is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 withthe elastic loops shown in the exposed view and expanded to receive aflashlight;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the cap and identifying a rubberstrip with slits for receiving a flashlight;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, andidentifying the rubber slits in a position of non-use;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of FIG. 6, taken at line BB; and

FIG. 8 is sectional view of FIG. 6, taken at line BB, and showing one ofthe rubber strips suspended for receiving a handheld flashlight.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of thepresent invention in a front perspective view. In this embodiment thecap 10 is shown comprising generally a shell 12, a brim 14, and asweatband 16. The shell 12 having an exterior surface 12 a, an interiorsurface 12 b, and a circumferential base 13. The brim 14 having a baseend 14 a and a visor end 14 b. In a manner typical of the constructionof a cap, the base end 14 a of brim 14 is attached to thecircumferential base 13 of shell 12. A handheld flashlight 18 having alongitudinal handle portion 18 a is secured to the cap 10 by aconcealable expandable or elastic loop 20. The handheld flashlight 18may be inserted into the concealable elastic loop 20 by expanding theelastic loop 20 to accommodate the handle portion 18 a of the handheldflashlight 18. Once the elastic loop 20 is allowed to naturallycontract, the flashlight 18 is securely held by the elastic loop 20.

FIG. 1 also shows the alternative embodiment of the multiple use ofelastic loops 20 within a single cap 10. This alternative embodimentallows the user to select the most convenient location for the handheldflashlight 18 relative to the user's head. The selection may be based onthe type and position of the task to be performed by the user, or may bebased on which of the user's dominant eyes is being used in conjunctionwith firing a weapon or using a tool. Additionally, multiple flashlights18 may be desirable to provide additional light to accomplish the taskat hand.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the embodiment of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows moreclearly the position of the elastic loop 20 relative to the sweatband16.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 clearly showsthe relative positions of the cap shell 12, the concealable elastic loop20, and the sweatband 16. FIG. 3 also shows an alternative embodiment ofthe attachment means for the concealable elastic loop 20 to the cap 10.In this embodiment, the elastic loop 20 is attached to the sweatband 16by the elastic loop stitching 22. The elastic loop stitching 22 connectsonly the elastic loop 20 to the sweatband 16.

In this particular embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the sweatband 16 isattached to the cap shell 12 by the shell stitching 24. The shellstitching 24 is provided along the entire circumference of the cap shell12 except for the length of the elastic loop 20. The absence of theshell stitching 24 along the length of the elastic loop 20 provides anaperture between the cap shell 12 and the sweatband 16 wherein theelastic loop 20 can be inserted and concealed during periods of non-use.

An alternative embodiment to that shown in FIGS. 1-4 consists ofproviding an aperture or slit in a shell 12 of cap 10 wherein theexpandable loop 20 is withdrawn from a first position of storage, and isthereby exposed to the exterior of shell 12 to a second position of use.In this particular embodiment, shell stitching 24 may extend around theentire circumferential base 13 of shell 12.

A further alternative embodiment to that shown in FIGS. 1-4 consists ofpositioning the elastic loop 20 interior of the sweatband 16. In thisalternative embodiment, the elastic loop 20 would be situated betweenthe user's head and the sweatband 16. When the user desires to use theflashlight holding feature, the user folds down the elastic loop 20 andsubsequently inserts flashlight 18 into elastic loop 20. Accordingly,this alternative embodiment does not require an aperture through whichthe elastic loop 20 must pass to be utilized.

FIGS. 4a, 4 b, and 4 c are cross-sectional views of the cap 10 from FIG.2 with the concealable elastic loops 20 shown in various positions. InFIG. 4a, the concealable elastic loops 20 are shown in the retracted orconcealed first position. As shown in FIG. 4a, the elastic loops 20 arevirtually unnoticeable when concealed.

FIG. 4b shows the concealable elastic loops 20 in their loweredposition. FIG. 4c shows the concealable elastic loops 20 in theirlowered second position expanded and ready to receive a flashlight 18.Once a flashlight 18 is inserted, the elastic loops 20 are allowed tocontract naturally and the elastic loops 20 will secure the flashlight18 to the cap 10. FIG. 4 c further shows the close proximity in whichthe elastic loops 20 maintain the flashlight 18 relative to the capshell 12. This close proximity reduces the possibility of either theflashlight 18 or the elastic loops 20 snagging or hooking on objectsnear the user's head.

FIGS. 5-8 show an alternative embodiment of the present invention. Morespecifically, a rubber strip 26 is provided which has either two slits28 positioned to receive the handle of a flashlight 18, as depicted inFIGS. 5-7, or alternatively, a rubber loop 32 is provided to receive thehandle of a flashlight 18, as depicted in FIGS. 5, 6, and 8. When not inuse, the rubber strip 26 is conveniently stored in a non-visibleposition within the cap 10, and preferably behind the sweatband 16 forcomfort purposes. During use, the rubber strip is merely pulled downwardto expose either the slits 28 or the loop 32 which is adapted forholding the flashlight 18.

The rubber strip 26 or elastic loop 20 may be attached to the cap 10either during manufacturing, or may be sold as an after market item tobe attached at a later date. The elastic loop 20 or rubber strip 26 mayadditionally be attached either directly to the sweatband 16 orpositioned between the sweatband 16 and the shell 12 of the cap.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hat adapted for use with a handheld flashlight,comprising: a shell, having an interior surface, an exterior surface,and a circumferential base; a brim, having a base end and a visor end,said base end attached to said shell substantially along saidcircumferential base; and a first concealable expandable loop forholding a longitudinal handle portion of the handheld flashlight, saidfirst concealable expandable loop interconnected to said shell proximateto said circumferential base on said interior surface of said hat. 2.The hat of claim 1, further comprising a sweatband interconnected to aninterior surface of said circumferential base.
 3. The hat of claim 2,wherein said first concealable expandable loop can be concealablypositioned between said sweatband and said interior surface.
 4. The hatof claim 1, wherein said first concealable expandable loop is comprisedof rubber.
 5. The hat of claim 1, wherein said first concealableexpandable loop is comprised of elastic.
 6. The hat of claim 1, furthercomprising a second concealable expandable loop for holding alongitudinal handle portion of a second handheld flashlight andinterconnected to said shell proximate said circumferential base andpositioned opposite said first concealable expandable loop.
 7. The hatof claim 1, wherein said first concealable expandable loop is sewn tosaid shell.
 8. A cap adapted for holding a handheld flashlight,comprising: a shell having an interior surface, an exterior surface, anda circumferential base; and an expandable loop capable of holding thehandheld flashlight and interconnected proximate said circumferentialbase of said shell, wherein said expandable loop is concealed proximatesaid interior surface of said shell when said expandable loop is in afirst position of storage, and is exposed to the exterior of said shellwhen said expandable loop is placed in a second position of use.
 9. Thecap of claim 8, further comprising a brim attached to saidcircumferential base of said shell.
 10. The cap of claim 8, furthercomprising a sweatband interconnected to said circumferential base ofsaid shell.
 11. The cap of claim 8, wherein said shell has an aperturesized for exposing said expandable loop.
 12. The cap of claim 10,further comprising a defined space for receiving said expandable loopbetween said shell and said sweatband, wherein said expandable loop maybe operatively received in said defined space when said expandable loopis in said first position of storage.
 13. The cap of claim 8, whereinsaid expandable loop is sewn to said circumferential base of said shell.14. The cap of claim 10, wherein said expandable loop is sewn to saidsweatband.